LACON - The new Marshall County engineer will be a familiar face in county government.

Former longtime County Board member Patrick Sloan of rural Lacon was named by that panel Thursday to replace Ed Andrews, who resigned in late July to become city engineer in Washington.

Like Andrews, the new engineer "also will continue to be the zoning administrator and recycling coordinator," said Brad Lindstrom, who chairs the board's highway, recycling and zoning committees.

Sloan also is expected to become Putnam County engineer under an existing agreement in which the two counties share those professional services, though not the zoning or recycling responsibilities. Putnam officials have been involved in the selection process and concur in the choice, Lindstrom said after Thursday's meeting.

"They'll be taking action after we did," Lindstrom said.

Sloan, currently client director at Foth Infrastructure and Environment LLC in Peoria, served on the board for 20 years, ending last Nov. 30. At times, he chaired the same committees that Lindstrom does now.

The new engineer also had been part of a citizens' group that founded a volunteer recycling drop-off site before he was on the board. It was eventually taken over by the county, and Sloan once hired his son to work there part-time. It is now maintained by highway department employees.

Sloan will be paid $93,065 in fiscal 2014 after receiving a pro-rated amount this year. The county also will provide his wife's health insurance, which is normally not done for county employees, officials said.

But that will be offset by a reduction in what Sloan's pay would have been, said finance committee member Mike Durham. The county actually stands to save a little money, because "Our (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) and Social Security contributions will be less" when the money is paid for family health insurance rather than salary, Durham said.

Andrews' salary for 2014 would have been $98,643, according to county records.

Sloan also will be provided a county vehicle for driving back and forth to work. He is expected to start on Sept. 23, Lindstrom said.

Gary L. Smith can be reached at (800) 516-0389 or glsmith@mtco.com. Read his Northern Circuit blog at pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Glsmithx.